How to avoid going to the hospital for common travelers problems?

How to avoid going to the hospital for common travelers problems? 

When moving to a new place, healthcare is often a concern for many, especially if never having lived in that particular area before. From all my years here I’ve found that the general standard of healthcare in Thailand is very good. Whether it be a government public hospital or one of the large private international hospitals. I have known patients who have received care in remote and small government hospitals who were very pleased with their treatment. Recently I had a patient in a large government hospital, he had CT scans, investigations and treatment that was all identical to the procedures of the top private hospitals.

  

I have the utmost confidence in the large international and the private hospitals in Bangkok, their facilities are state of the art and they are very customer service orientated. Communication is clear and easy which is a great relief to foreigners. I split my time between my own clinic Medconsult and also Bumrungrad Hospital, where I go twice a week. You’ll find that people travel to Bangkok from all over Asia purely to receive medical treatment. Which I believe is a testament to the high quality of care offered here.

Even so, there are some conditions that you can take care of yourself without a trip to the hospital!

Coughs and colds

These are common occurrences throughout the world, and can really make you feel run down. Usually these can be treated with symptomatic medicines. However these conditions can worsen with certain activities such as frequent swimming. Here in Thailand we definitely see more of these cases during the rainy season (May to September). If the cough, cold or sore throat seems to be getting worse than an antibiotic such an amoxil should be effective. If you are allergic to penicillin then zithromax is a good alternative. You can get medicines from any local pharmacy or drug store, also Boots and Watsons are good and easy options.

Diarrhea and vomiting

I know when I visit a new place one of the highlights for me is the food, sampling a completely new cuisine. However, even if the food is well prepared, it can still lead to an upset stomach, as you’re body is not used to these new ingredients. Frequently seeing tourists that have gastroenteritis and diarrhea, I strongly suggest carrying medicines such as Motilium which will help to keep food down, and also Loperamide which can be taken for diarrhea. Carrying rehydration sachets, ORS is a good idea, especially if you are experiencing any food poisoning symptoms because it lowers the water potential of the fluid inside the intestine, reducing the net movement of water from cells into the lumen, reducing dehydration and reducing the diarrhea symptoms. It is important to keep hydrated in cases like this. Obviously this involves drinking plenty of water but other drinks can help a lot too, such as coke, sprite and Gatorade. Adults can take ciprofloxacin 250 mg twice a day if the diarrhea continues and probiotics such as bioflor.

Immunizations 

 

Most of us are on the go a lot of the time, something that all travelers should be aware of us their vaccination status. What have you got, how long will it cover you for and are there any special vaccinations that you should get for particular countries?

At my clinic I often see patients who plan to travel to exotic countries and amongst all the excitement it’s easy to forget about vaccinations. Certain diseases are localized to different areas of the world and it’s important to be informed at what vaccinations you might need.

First of all check whether you and your family each have travel vaccination booklets. If you don’t it is important to get one from your doctor and to fill in all your previous vaccinations. Vaccination books are an easy way to keep track of what you’ve had and to see when you’re due for a booster. Also if anything ever happens for example a dog bite, it’s a big time saver for the doctor if he can see when your last Rabies shot was and what brand it was. I find that the majority of dog bites come from those with owners, and actually street dogs aren’t often aggressive towards people. In Thailand there are about 8 or 9 fatal rabies cases a year, for this reason don’t go to play or pet any unfamiliar dogs.

Whenever you travel it is a good idea to keep these books with you, almost as though it’s a immunization passport. Some countries are strict and will insist on seeing it at immigration, for example some African countries require you to have the Yellow Fever vaccine, and Saudi Arabia requires you to have been immunized against Meningococcal Meningitis.

Hepatitis B should be administered if you will be travelling around or working particularly in Southern Africa or India but should also be considered for South America. Hepatitis B is endemic in  Asia, however the prevalence is dropping since most countries have introduced childhood vaccination . Hepatitis B is spread from sexual transmission and blood and from mother to baby.

If you are infected with hep b the risk of liver cancer rises that is why vaccination and prevention is best.

I strongly recommend getting the Hepatitis B vaccine if you have not already had it, especially if you will be visiting countries which have a high endemic of HBV transmission; this includes the entirety of Asia.

I often see people who are planning to explore the rural aspects of South-East Asia, for these people I would recommend the Typhoid vaccine. Especially if you will be staying in local accommodation. Typhoid can be transmitted through food or water and can cause symptoms such as constipation, stomach pains, headaches and a very noticeable fever.

Japanese Encephalitis is a serious illness and the vaccine is recommend for person living in Thailand. Tourist do not required the vaccine.

Malaria is not a risk to most people in Thailand, but it can infect people who are malnourished on border areas.  People should prevent getting mosquito bites using sprays, repellents etc.

Dengue is more common and a risk in urban and rural areas, again prevention is important, and dengue is also transmitted through mosquito bites so another good precaution is to cover up as much as possible, use mosquito nets when sleeping and also consistent application of mosquito repellent.